Holy Orders

Are you interested in learning more about the Priesthood? Contact Fr. Shane Baxter

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

“He said to them, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.’” (Luke 10:2)

Holy Orders – Bishops, Priests and Deacons

There is a special office of those who are set aside to sanctify, bless, teach and guide the Church and thus continue the role of the Apostles in making Christ present throughout the ages.

“Holy Orders is the Sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to His apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time. Thus it is the Sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1536.

In addition to Holy Orders another calling to devote your life to service in the Church is Religious Life.

Religious Life – Consecrated Men and Women

What is “Consecrated Life”?

To be “Consecrated” means to be set apart for a special purpose. It refers to a state to which men and women take public vows to the Evangelical Counsels (poverty, chastity, and obedience), ordinarily within the context of a religious community (such as a monastery, convent, or friary). By taking these vows, religious men and women strive to follow the counsels of Jesus in a more perfect way.

Religious vocations to the priesthood or to the consecrated religious life are gifts from our Heavenly Father by which He calls a man or a woman to follow His Son, Jesus, in a unique way. Do not be afraid to open your heart to the possibility that God is calling you to such a vocation.

Always feel welcome to contact a priest through the parish office if you would like to speak to someone about a possible vocation to the priesthood or to the religious life. We are ready to help in any way we can.

The Diocese of Beaumont, moreover, has a Vocations Office to assist men and women who would like to inquire about a possible vocation.

May the Holy Spirit, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, instruct and guide you to answer Jesus’ call to follow Him as His friend and disciple.

For more information on discernment to the priesthood or religious life, please visit the website of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. That website includes great vocation resources here for men and here for women.